My Top Documentaries for 2017... (in list order)

"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.

A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).

When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.

Directed by Andreas Neumann and Joshua Homme, American Valhalla tells the story of an unlikely musical collaboration between two mavericks of American rock: Joshua Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stone Age and Iggy Pop, the Godfather of Punk. The film, co-directed by Homme, follows the recording of Iggy's final album 'Post Pop Depression' in the California desert, with his band comprising of Homme, his QOTSA bandmate Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys' drummer, Matt Helders, as well as the explosive tour that builds to a crowning performance at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall. Featuring stunning cinematography and intimate access, American Valhalla reveals the growth of an intense bond between the musicians who have taken to heart the mantra: "you risk nothing you gain nothing".

Friends and family of the late actor Heath Ledger remember his life and career.

Life in Cuba for three struggling families over the course of 45 years, from the cautious optimism of the early 1970s to the harrowing 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union and the 2016 death of Fidel Castro.

SAVING CAPITALISM is a documentary film that follows former Secretary of Labor and Professor, Robert Reich, as he takes his book and his views to the heart of conservative America to speak about our economic system and present big ideas for how to fix it.

In 1982, a small radio station battles to bring the New Wave to America.

A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.

Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.

All about the Australian band The Go-Betweens.

A documentary following film fans working to restore the set of the climactic graveyard scene from the iconic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

Traces a family's journey as one of only twelve Jewish families to survive the Nazi occupation of Prague during World War II.

An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.

An experience about the highest peaks around the world.

Are there limits to your love for your family? One family's acceptance is tested when a champion diver, destined for the Olympics, announces they're transitioning from male to female and invites their YouTube followers along for every moment. It's a story about unconditional love and finding the courage to be yourself.

A profound and poetic encounter with cultural and spiritual icon Ram Dass, at his home on Maui toward the end of his life.

An inspirational survival story of Deepika Kumari who, as a girl born on the roadside to abject poverty in rural India, went in search of food, stumbled upon archery, and within 4 years became the Number One archer in the World.